Altoona's Alexander Picks F$U

This is probably old news at this point, but A.J. Alexander of my Alma Mater, Altoona High, has picked F$U, according to Philip Cmor of the Mirror.

Alexander, perhaps Altoona's most highly recruited football player ever, called Florida State coaches Saturday night and gave the Seminoles a verbal commitment.

Verbal commitments are not binding under NCAA rules. Alexander could conceivably change his mind any time between now and whenever he either enrolls or signs a letter-of-intent. Most recruits, though, stick by their choice, and, reached Sunday afternoon, Alexander seemed sure of his decision to go to Florida State over Penn State, Pitt and Georgia.

"I called [Florida State] last night and told them, but I've known for a little bit,'' Alexander said. "The main reason [I chose Florida State] is the people there. These are people I want to be around for the next four or five years.''

Oh well. That's how the cookie crumbles. But while the hype may be the greatest for any player at Altoona, he will have to do a lot on the field to outshine Altoona's best football player ever--Mike Reid.

Speaking of Altoona, the Mirror has a Sunday feature called Voice of the Fan, kind of a print version of a messageboard sans anonymity. This week's question:

Is Joe Paterno making the right decision in punishing his entire team for the April 1 fight by making all his players clean Beaver Stadium on Sundays after home games?

Here's my response:

First off, let's not make a mountain out of a molehill. Young kids do stupid things. I'm pretty sure those that are so quick to throw these kids off the team probably made their share of mistakes when they were 19 and 20. Age has a way of skewing perspective. I know when I was in school, if I dissed some guy's girlfriend; there was a price to pay. Scirrotto et. al. showed bad judgment in reacting, but stupidity is not a crime. And it still isn't clear what exactly happened that night. Some "witnesses" couldn't even identify the players standing in the courtroom. I heard that the offensive line showed up, but were shoved back. Austin Scott got to the door, danced around, but couldn't get through.

Seriously though, regarding Joe's decision to penalize the entire team . . . there are two sides to consider. First are the positives, which include the favorable media coverage and praises for his action. He may also have pre-empted an unsavory response from PSU's OJA. It sends a clear message to every player NOT to get involved in something like this again. The adversity could be a rallying point for this team. Not so long ago, Michael Robinson commented how other teams' players were laughing at them at the Big Ten Media day and showing disrespect for Paterno. [There will surely be some garbage collection jokes this year!] MRob and his senior leaders used that as motivation (us against the world) to put together the best season since 1994.

On the negative side, morale is a fickle thing, and this could cause resentment among those not involved. It could have a deleterious effect on recruiting (from the player's point of view) but might enhance PSU's stock in the eyes of parents who are concerned about the welfare and discipline of their kids. And it is another distraction in the busy lives of these students trying to juggle academics (which some of them do you know) and athletics.

While I personally think it is kind of harsh for those not directly involved, and perhaps a bit premature (since nothing has been proven in a court of law) I still think the positives outweigh the negatives.

And, as some fans on the message boards have pointed out, it gives us a chance to directly express ourselves. If the team plays poorly and loses, fans can make a mess of the stadium--smear that nacho cheese around. But if the team beats Notre Dame and Ohio State --all the fans should clean up their area themselves!

PS(u): If they beat Michigan, I'll come help them clean the stadium up the rest of the year!